"I would like to thank those who encouraged me to unify all my online activities in one website. I never mean this to be anything but an avenue for ministry, to make myself available to others. These are not mine to begin with, and so I feel the need to share them to others - these thoughts, ideas, creative things, for whatever they're worth, may you find them somewhat helpful. God bless you."

Various themes in Catholicism, from catechism to spirituality to current events.

PRAYER FOR MERCY

Heavenly Father, you look at us your children in their time of great distress, with mercy and compassion, desiring that we may find You as the light in the midst of our darkness.

Be merciful, O Lord, as you are Mercy itself, to your people lost in sin and isolation. Look upon me, in my weakness and ignorance, and see deep within my heart that I desire You and only You, my one true happiness and peace.

Increase the longing in my soul for a profound sense of the Good and the Beautiful, and manifest to me your untiring love, that I may be moved to the core of my being to respond to You with fervor and devotion.

Be merciful, O Lord, for I am unworthy of Your love. Help me to never let go, as You never let go of me in your divine grace. Amen.

GOD IS GOOD

For out of His love for us, He creates

the universe by the sheer power of

Word. He desires this loving

relationship with his creation, but especially with every human life, endowed with the ability to love Him back. It is because of this that your

life and mine and all sacred, that all human life is precious in His eyes.

By the same loving initiative, God

visits our human condition and dies

for us on the cross - the stupendous mystery of God's desire to heal us

and keep us in his Divine Sustenance,

in Jesus Christ.

What marvelous love indeed! The questions is: how do we respond to

such divine love?

(Fr. Sunny Castillo)

PILGRIMAGES IN 2018

Fr. Sunny is looking forward to another year of pilgrimages. This year, he will go back to his two favorite pilgrimage destinations:

Marian Pilgrimage

to Portugal, Spain and France

September 25 - October 5, 2018

Holy Land Pilgrimage

November 5 - 14, 2018

FR. SUNNY'S TEN THINGS TO DO TO ENRICH ONE'S FAITH

1. Participate at mass regularly. There's no better place to draw life then from the Eucharist, where the entire Church comes together to celebrate Word and Sacrament, and to be sent out again to live out the faith we profess.

2. Have a prayer life. Whatever it is that you are comfortable praying, hone it, keep it consistent and grow more with it. Explore the many prayer forms in the Catholic Church; it is one of the rich parts of our tradition as the original Christians.

3. Read the Scriptures. We put it together, we compiled it, and we introduced it to the world through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Benefit from it, because it is the Word of God!

4. Know the lives of the saints. Part of our Catholicism is our communion with the saints and angels in heaven. They are our friends and allies to Jesus. When we know their stories, we develop a special bond with them, and they inspire ur and pray for us to grow in our love of God. We have many supporters in our journey to God, let's not ignore them.

5. Participate in ministry. In your local church communities, there are many ministries of various kinds. Involve yourself, and find a positive environment where you can collaborate with fellow Christians. They actually do exist and it can be a joyful, enriching experience to build healthy friendships with people who share your faith.

6. Read Catholic literature. Don't waste your time with superficial readings; you only have so much time in your life. So read some really amazing Catholic readings, including the classics like "Story of a Soul" and "The Interior Castle." Don't forget the papal encyclicals!

7. Learn the joy of silence. In a world where there is too much noise and stresses around us, silence centering prayers, and moments of simply pausing to breathe and acknowledge that God is present in you, can do so much for your spiritual wellbeing.

8. Have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is after all given to us by Jesus to be our mother. There are many devotions to Mary, and there are many ways to deepen our devotion to her. Her example is an inspiration, and her intercession is very powerful.

9. Develop a penitential disposition. Be aware of the sinful patterns of your life, seek forgiveness through the sacrament, and really work on them by using tolls and strategies available through the Church. There is nothing more peaceful and joyful than a clear conscience.

10. Practice random acts of kindness. They don't have to be big things. They can be as simple as smiling at someone, or talking kindly and gently, or greeting someone sincerely. These little pearls of the day can multiply and grow, one little deed at a time.